2020 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
Problems, recalls and owner-reported issues
Engine is the leading concern among 731 owner complaints filed for this model year. This is the 7th highest complaint count among 19 Silverado 1500 model years with reports.
Of the 2020 reports, 13 involved a crash and 9 involved a fire. 12 people were injured.
What owners report most often
Recalls and investigations
Power train, automatic transmission, control module, softwareFeb 12, 2026
General Motors, LLC is recalling certain 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 2500, 3500, GMC Sierra 2500, 3500, and 2020-2022 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500 vehicles that may have been repaired incorrectly under recall 24V797. The transmission control valve may fail and cause the rear wheels to lock up.
Rear wheel lock up increases the risk of a crash.
Dealers will inspect the vehicles and update the transmission control software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 6, 2026. Owners may contact GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782 or Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is N252516560. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on February 12, 2026.
Campaign 26V083000 on NHTSA.gov
Power train, automatic transmission, control module, softwareOct 24, 2024
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Chevrolet Silverado 1500, 2500, 3500, GMC Sierra 1500, 2500, 3500, 2021 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Tahoe, Suburban, GMC Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles equipped with diesel engines. The transmission control valve may fail and cause the rear wheels to lock-up.
Rear wheel lock-up can increase the risk of a crash.
Dealers will install new transmission control module software, free of charge. GM will provide a special coverage program to cover the repair of transmissions that are identified by the remedy software as containing a defective control valve. Owner notification letters were mailed December 12, 2024. Owners may contact GM customer service at 1-888-988-7267, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006, GMC customer service at GMC 1-800-462-8782 or Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is N242454440.
Campaign 24V797000 on NHTSA.gov
Tires, temporary/emergency spare tireDec 16, 2021
General Motors (GM) is recalling certain 2019-2021 GMC Sierra 1500 and Silverado 1500 vehicles equipped with certain accessory road tires and a 17" spare tire. The 17" spare tire provided with the vehicle is not compatible for use with the accessory wheels, which can cause the anti-lock brake system (ABS) to not function properly under certain conditions.
An ABS system that does not function properly can increase the risk of a crash.
Dealers will provide a new 17" spare tire and wheel assembly that is compatible with the accessory wheels, free of charge. Dealers will also apply a new spare tire information label, and provide owners with an owner's manual insert clarifying which spare tire to use with the accessory road tires and with the 17" original tires. Owner notification letters were mailed February 7, 2022. Owners may contact GM customer service at 1-800-462-8782 or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is N212346510.
Campaign 21V985000 on NHTSA.gov
TiresFeb 25, 2021
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2020 Buick Enclave, Cadillac XT4, XT5, Escalade, Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Suburban, Tahoe, Traverse, GMC Yukon, Yukon XL, 2018-2021 Chevrolet Express, GMC Savana, 2019-2020 Chevrolet Blazer, Silverado 1500, GMC Acadia, Sierra 1500, and certain Continental tires sold to the aftermarket for various model year 2018-2021 vehicles. The affected tires were cured for too long during production.
Over cured tires may develop a break in the sidewall resulting in sudden air loss or a belt edge separation which could lead to a tread/belt loss. Either condition can cause a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.
GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the tires, replacing them as necessary, free of charge. The recall began March 22, 2021. Owners may contact GMC customer service at 1-888-988-7267, Buick customer service at 1-866-608-8080, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 or Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006. GM's number for this recall is N212329050.
Campaign 21V115000 on NHTSA.gov
Seat beltsDec 17, 2020
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2019-2021 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500, 2021 Chevrolet Suburban and Tahoe and GMC Yukon XL and 2020-2021 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 and 3500 and GMC Sierra 2500 and 3500 vehicles. The seat belt brackets may not be secured to the seat frame in the front-row center seating position.
If a seat-belt bracket is not secured, the seat belt may not properly restrain an occupant in the front-row center seat position, increasing the risk of injury in a crash.
GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect left-side and right-side front-row center seat-belt bracket attachments and reassemble it correctly as necessary, free of charge. The recall began January 26, 2021. Owners may contact GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is N202314670.
Campaign 20V792000 on NHTSA.gov
TiresNov 5, 2020
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2020 Buick Enclave, Cadillac XT5, GMC Acadia and Chevrolet Traverse vehicles and 2020-2021 Chevrolet Silverado 1500, GMC Sierra 1500 vehicles. The vehicles may have been manufactured with Continental tires that were overcured.
Overcured tires may experience a carcass break in the sidewall resulting in a sudden air loss or could develop a belt edge separation which could lead to partial or full tread/belt loss. Either condition increases the risk of a crash.
GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect vehicles and replace tires that have DOT number and production mold number combinations identified by Continental, free of charge. The recall began December 17, 2020. Owners may contact GMC customer service at 1-888-988-7267, Buick customer service at 1-866-608-8080, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 or Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006. GM's number for this recall is N202319030.
Campaign 20V684000 on NHTSA.gov
Power train, driveline, driveshaftOct 22, 2020
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500 and 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 trucks. One of the driveshaft joints may not have been properly welded, causing the driveshaft to separate while the vehicle is moving.
If the driveshaft separates, there may be a loss of propulsion, increasing the risk of crash.
GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driveshaft, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin December 2020. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 or GMC customer service at 1-888-988-7267. GM's number for this recall is N202314870.
Campaign 20V650000 on NHTSA.gov
Air bags, side/window, curtain, inflatorJul 30, 2020
General Motors, LLC. (GM) is recalling certain 2020 Buick Enclave, Cadillac XT5 and XT6, Chevrolet Blazer, Silverado 1500, 2500 and 3500 and Traverse and GMC Acadia and Sierra 1500, 2500 and 3500 vehicles. The diffuser component of the Roof-Rail Air Bag (RRAB) inflator may not have been properly crimped to the inflator and could separate from the inflator during air bag deployment.
If the diffuser separates from the inflator during deployment, RRAB performance may be degraded, increasing the risk of injury in a crash.
GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the suspect RRAB modules, free of charge. The recall began September 3, 2020. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-630-2438, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-333-4223, or Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300. GM's number for this recall is N202305380.
Campaign 20V446000 on NHTSA.gov
Service brakes, hydraulic, foundation components, disc, caliperFeb 27, 2020
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500 vehicles. The bolts used to attach the front and/or rear brake calipers may have not been heat treated and may break under load.
Broken caliper bolts can reduce brake performance or interfere with wheel rotation and increase the risk of a crash.
GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the brake caliper bolts, free of charge. The recall began March 23, 2020. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 or GMC customer service at 1-866-522-9559. GM's number for this recall is N202294420.
Campaign 20V116000 on NHTSA.gov
Electrical system, 12v/24v/48v battery, cablesDec 12, 2019
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500 trucks. The battery positive (B+) cable rings may have been manufactured with excessive glue, potentially causing an intermittent electrical connection between the B+ cable and alternator.
An intermittent electrical connection between the B+ battery cable and the alternator could cause the vehicle to stall, increasing the risk of a crash. The intermittent connection could also lead to electrical arcing, which could generate sufficient heat to damage surrounding material, increasing the risk of a fire.
GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect for the presence of glue or other contamination at the B+ cable attachment to the alternator and clean the connection and reattach the B+ cable connection, as necessary. If arcing has damaged the cable, nut, or alternator, the dealer will replace the damaged components. All services will be performed free of charge. GM issued owners an interim notification on February 4, 2020. GM issued second notice and the recall began March 9, 2019. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 or GMC customer service at 1-888-988-7267. GM's number for this recall is N192273510.
Campaign 19V888000 on NHTSA.gov
Fuel system, gasoline, delivery, fuel pumpNov 21, 2019
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2020 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Camaro, Silverado 1500, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra 1500, Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles. The fuel pump may be missing a pressure regulator, allowing for over-pressurization of the fuel system.
Over-pressurization can crack the fuel pump and cause leaks, increasing the risk of a fire in the presence of an ignition source.
GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel pump, free of charge. The recall began December 18, 2019. Owners may contact Cadillac customer service at 1-800-333-4223, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, or GMC customer service at 1-888-988-7267. GM's number for this recall is N192283991.
Campaign 19V837000 on NHTSA.gov
Seat belts, pretensionerNov 14, 2019
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500, and 2020 Silverado 2500, Silverado 3500, Sierra 2500, and Sierra 3500 vehicles equipped with carpet floor covering. When the front seat belt pretensioners deploy, hot gas may vent through an opening in the pretensioner bracket, possibly igniting the carpet.
A vehicle fire could result if materials ignite inside the vehicle.
GM will notify owners, and dealers will close off the opening in the pretensioner bracket, free of charge. The recall began December 13, 2019. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 or GMC customer service at 1-888-988-7267. GM's number for this recall is N192270600.
Campaign 19V814000 on NHTSA.gov
Representative owner complaints
731 reports, newest first.
Engine, May 7, 2025
On [XXX] I pulled off from a Red Light and vehicle started flashing codes. I slowed down and engine was missing. I had vehicle towed to Gilmore's Auto Center in Culpeper Virginia. The truck was diagnosed later that day as a Rod Bearing failure. The engine gave no warnings prior to that day. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Engine, May 7, 2025
Lifter issues, loss of power, flashing check engine light
Power train, May 6, 2025
Employee was driving company car on backroad, started to rev high im assuming from trying to accelerate. Car started to slow and was pulled into a parking lot and towed to dealer. Upon inspection it was shown transmission cooler lines broke at crimps and quoted 2K to fix just the lines
Engine and engine cooling, Power train, Engine, May 6, 2025
The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated after an independent mechanic had performed an oil change on the vehicle, the vehicle was moved and parked. The contact stated that upon attempting to start the vehicle, the vehicle failed to start. The mechanic diagnosed that the engine had seized and there were metal shavings in the oil. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the engine needed to be replaced. The dealer informed the contact that the manufacturer had denied coverage because the vehicle was previously serviced by an independent mechanic. The vehicle was repaired at the contact's expense. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Action Number: PE25001 (Engine, Engine and Engine Cooling). Additionally, the contact stated while idling and while driving at various speeds, the vehicle made an abnormal whining sound. The vehicle was taken to Bomnin Chevrolet Dadeland (8455 S Dixie Hwy, Miami, FL 33143), where it was diagnosed that the transmission was failing and there were metal shavings found in the transmission. The dealer replaced the transmission. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 25,000.
Power train, May 2, 2025
My truck rpm goes idle while driving also a loud knocking sound when accelerating
Power train, Engine, May 2, 2025
The vehicle was being used in a normal daily driving routine. I was stopped(fortunately) at a traffic light. The light turned green and I went to proceed and began to press the gas pedal and the engine made a loud pop noise and began to barely stay running. I brought the vehicle to the shop(GM dealership) for diagnosis and repair. The motor had to be rebuilt new camshaft, lifters, etc. The vehicle is also having transmission issues, heavy vibration, hard shifts and constant fluctuations in the rpms while maintaining a set speed. The transmission issue still has not been resolved.
Power train, Other or unspecified, May 1, 2025
chevy Silverado shakes at 20, 40,65 and 70 mph chevy shake
Engine, May 1, 2025
chevy has a well known issue with lifters failing in the 5.3 motor because of the afm. it has failed on me twice and had to pay twice to get this fixed and i’m concern one day the engine will just blow like other people have complained about. i even went to the dealership and even spoke to the part department and they have admitted this but no fix for it has been put in place. we need a recall on this motor that’s effecting thousands of people.
Power train, Apr 30, 2025
Transmission slips, jerks, delayed shifting symptoms consistent with technical service bulletins and known recalls on later models. Add that it was purchased new and is still financed
Parking brake, Electronic stability control (ESC), Engine, Apr 30, 2025
The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that while driving 75 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power, with the check engine, Service ESC, and the “Service Parking Brake” warning lights were flashing. The vehicle was towed to a dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the engine was blown, and the engine needed to be taken apart for additional diagnostic tests. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was then towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed and determined that the cam phaser and lifters had failed and the engine long block needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 104,000.
Power train, Engine, Apr 30, 2025
I just saw a recall for 2021-2024 vehicles for connecting rod/crankshaft engine components. I am not 100% sure that i have the same problem but my warning signs are the same. For example, there is a knocking sound in engin, it shifts abnormally and it hesitates and has reduced propulsion. I talked to several other Trail boss owners that had to have their Lifters repaired so maybe it is that? These problems are happening to everyone prior to even hitting 70k miles. I cannot afford to fix this if it is a problem that shouldnt be happening in the first place, due to crappy manufacturing.
Engine, Apr 30, 2025
While traveling on a rural state highway, the #8 lifter bearing failed, causing the engine to lose considerable power and the dash light to come on. No advanced warning of engine problems was noticed prior. The transmission also went into limp mode not allowing the vehicle to shift gears. At the same time the ABS and ESC systems also went into a safety mode diminishing the stopping power of the vehicle. Upon inspection by a licensed mechanic it was discovered that the #8 lifter bearing and the camshaft were both damaged at that time. Total replacement cost was over 10k and it took almost 6 months to find a rebuilt L87 engine at that time because there was almost no supply available as a result of these engines having multiple failures nationwide
Engine, Apr 30, 2025
While highway driving on 4/8/2025, for the 3rd time in 3 months, engine light came on and I lost all control of my cruise control, parking brake disabled and loss of engine power immediately reducing my highway speed to approximately 50 mph which was very dangerous. I had to cautiously return home & called the Chevy dealer immediately. They had repaired the lifters twice before, with the most recent repair on the lifters and push rod just one month earlier. This second repair was covered under their repair warranty. Currently, it took about 10 days before a loaner car was available (after a poor google review). To date (4/30/2025) I have not received ANY feedback from the dealer (Starling Chevrolet in Mt. Pleasant, SC) regarding any repair or engine diagnosis. The symptoms of this third failure was just like the previous two failures (3 failures in 3 months!). I feel like this vehicle has Major issues as I have also had to have the radio/infotainment system replaced twice since the original purchase. PLEASE have Chevrolet do an engine recall on their 5.7 liter engine!!
Power train, Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Apr 29, 2025
On Feb 10, 2025 while in busy mid-day traffic on the highway going 55mph my vehicle without any warning signs or warning messages on dash, or dash indicator lights suddenly went into limp mode , began making a loud knocking from the engine, and started shutting down. I stopped the vehicle as soon as I safely could do so and had it towed back to the selling dealer for them to diagnose the issue. The dealer then informed me that i had a bent lifter on the left bank but they did this based on codes and not any tear down. They referred me to another local dealer. I had my vehicle towed there where they also stated lifter. Once they began to replace the lifters on the left bank scarring was found on my #3 cylinder wall and at that point I was told that my truck had catastrophic engine failure and the engine would have to be replaced. They also told me that my truck had no oil in it and the issue was caused from carbon build up. I have had every maintenance service performed on time and at the selling dealer and have all service records. I was not overdue on maintenance. I have never been told about any oil leaks or any other issues that needed to be resolved on my vehicle. I had driven the truck the night before with no issues.. There was no oil on the ground or under the vehicle for them to say there was no oil in the vehicle. I was never told that i needed spark plugs due to carbon. I believe that this has to due with the AFM issue that GM is well aware of. I had to purchase another vehicle due to the damage that was found on this required an engine replacement
Vehicle speed control, Engine, Apr 29, 2025
Driving vehicle down freeway about 75mph heard noise and truck shut speeds down to about 60mph on a major freeway. Per mechanic lifter has collapsed and it has been a common issue that Chevy knows about. He said that it could have been alot worse by seizing the engine and causing harm to drive or other people around causing a major accident. There is a major safety issue to life and or death caused by this issue that has NOT been a concern and causing people to pay over $5000.00 for repairs. Chevy has known about the faulty lifters for years and doesn't seem to care about safety concerns.
Engine and engine cooling, Apr 29, 2025
The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that after starting the vehicle, the engine made ticking and knocking sounds while idling. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V274000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the year and VIN were not included in the recall. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 59,000.
Engine, Apr 28, 2025
The engine failed while I was driving. It started to run very rough and then the check engine light came on as well as multiple other lights. I limped it to my mechanic who found that cylinder #4 had failed and rotated which tore up the cam shaft. Total damages came to 10,404.28. I have all receipts. Safety for myself and others were impacted because it lost power immediately and could have put me or other motorists in a position to react quickly not to crash.
Engine and engine cooling, Apr 28, 2025
The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that when the vehicle was started, there was an abnormal rattling sound coming from the engine compartment. The contact stated there was no warning light illuminated. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the cam shaft, rod bearings, and lifters had failed, and the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Safety Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was 71,773.
Engine, Apr 23, 2025
Engine (v8) lost power and made terrible noise at 72,000 miles. Dealer installed a remanufactured engine and charged me $5109 and took 12 weeks to complete the work. GM claimed there were “unaware” of any issues with these engines even though an internet search showed tons and f people with the same problem.
Engine, Apr 19, 2025
The 2.7L turbo engine failed. The truck is available for inspection. All maintenance has been up to date. It was recently serviced for a seperate recall. The truck gave a reduced engine power message and within minutes lost power. A truck of this age, with maintenance done regularly should not experience engine failure.
Engine, Apr 16, 2025
The engine seized unexpectedly and without warning during driving. Being sudden and without warning it risked the occupants of the vehicle being injured as they struggled to get off the road and out of harms way on the road. The vehicle was taken to the nearest Chevrolet dealer to be inspected where we were told that the engine had suffered a total engine failure and would need to be replaced entirely. The vehicle WAS inspected and damage confirmed by the dealer at that time. Prior to the failure there were no warnings of any kind.
Engine and engine cooling, Engine, Apr 15, 2025
The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that while driving 50 MPH and making a turn in the opposite direction, the vehicle lost motive power and there was an abnormal knocking sound coming from the engine. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact was able to pull over to the side of the road. The vehicle failed to restart and was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the rod and the lifters had failed, causing damages to the upper half of the engine. The dealer replaced the gaskets, the rods, the guides, the lifters, the camshaft, and the transition kit. Additionally, and oil change was performed. The vehicle was not covered under warranty and was repaired at the customer's expense due to the mileage. The contact stated that while driving approximately 65 MPH on another occasion, the vehicle made an abnormally loud clunking sound and lost motive power intermittently. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact pulled over to the side of the road. The contact drove back to the residence. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with cylinder #8 intake valve failure. The vehicle was repaired at the contact's expense. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and a case was filed for the cylinder #8 intake valve spring replacement. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 86,000.
Power train, Apr 14, 2025
Rear tires repeatedly locked up at highway speeds. Causing engine damage.
Power train, Apr 14, 2025
Vehicle transmission locked up. I see safety recalls for 2019 and newer but mine is not on the list. I’d like to get the GM 1-year/1500,000 mile warranty they have issued.
Power train, Engine, Apr 10, 2025
At approximately 68K miles, the torque converter failed. Luckily it started going out and we could feel it. It would surge/shudder while driving on the road. We had to have the torque converter replaced at $5k. A dealer replaced the parts. At approximately 90K miles, the lifters started making a loud pinging noise. It turns out the lifters had issues which lead to them being replaced along with the camshaft. It could have failed on the road and left us stranded. The sound of the lifters alerted us. A local shop fixed the issue at a cost of $9K.